Latest prices from Rathfriland Co-Op

staff reporter

An entry of 1000 sheep on Tuesday evening saw 281 fat ewes continue a good trade to £117 with fat rams to £127.

719 spring lambs sold in a much reduced trade. The average fell by around 40p/k with a top price of £78 paid for four lots.

LAMBS: Farmers from Ballinran, Clough, Dundrum and Rathfriland all sold lambs at £78 per head. A Corbet farmer reached £77. Armagh farmer: £75.50 and Kilkeel farmer: £75. The lighter 21k lots sold to a top of £71 or 338p/k. The 20k lot to £66 or 230p/k. Heavy lambs mostly sold from 310 to 325p/k.

Cattle numbers trebled on the week with weanlings and dropped calves an exceptional trade.

Over 200 head in this section saw the weanlings sell to 294.4p/k for a 270k Ch @ £795, 290k Ch @ £800 or 276p/k and 280k @ £770 or 275p/k. Weanling heifers sold to 258.3p/k for 240k Lim @ £620 from Seagahan, Armagh. In the calf section, a pen of strong BB from Castlewellan sold to £525 followed by £500. A Crossmaglen farmer sold a BB heifer @ £490. A pen of 15 Lims and Her from Dromore sold to £430 for bulls and £365 twice for 2 Her heifers. In the heifer section, an Annalong farmer reached £980 for a 520k Lim. A 440k Lim from Banbridge sold @ £865 and a 390k Ch from Mayobridge sold @ £805. 61 bullocks sold to a top of £1170 for a Kilkeel farmer with a pen of BB from Edenagarry selling to £1095 for 508k or 215.6p/k. Suckler cows to £1500 for a Ballyward farmer and fat cows to £855 for a 628p/k Lim from Katesbridge.

A Ballyward farmer sold a Belgium Blue Cow and Calf @ £1500. Ballyroney farmer: Welsh Black cow and calf @ £1060. Fat cows sold to £855 for a 628k Lim from Katesbridge. A Ch cow from the same herd sold @ £760 for 618k. A Kilkeel farmer sold a 688k Lim @ £795.